Gate-controlling device for cookers.



R. A. TRACE. A E CONTROLLING DEVICE mR'cooKERs;

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1917...

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a. A. TRACE. GATE C ONTROLLING DEVICE FOR COOKEBSf APPLICATlON FILED APR. 19; l9l7- Patented Jam 29 '1918.

liven tr' R. A. TRACE. GATE CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR COOKEBS.

APPLICATION nus!) ,AFB. 19,,|s17.

Patented. Jan, 29, 11918.

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, Be it known-that I, Rnssnnn A. Trace, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and b State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGate Controlhng Devices for Cookef's, of which the following is a, specification, reference being had cession. The patented invention'has to do with means for automatically opening the gates between the receptacles in a prescribed order and to stop the operation of the gate opening mechanism at certain times.

The object of the present invention is to' providing improve t-he'prior construction by means whereby a more certain filling of the lowest receptacle or cooker is attained, thus an compelling the meal to be properly cooked or putin condition to have the oil pressed therefrom. The invention provides a mechanism Which maintains the gate operating devices in operation until the lower recepts-tacle contains as much material as is desired. To thi end there i provided a driving mechanism for the gate operating devices with means constantly tending to connect the two mechanisms. The level of the an material in the lowest receptacle serves to control the operation of this c0nnecting means by preventing the operation of the devices which constantly tend to cause such connection. p In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a'cook- .ing mechanism,"the device being shown as comprising receptacles one over the other in the customary form. J This figure shows the to mechanism when an operation has just been started. Y Fig. 2 is'a similar side elevationoit the device but showing it inpositioii just'before it may bestopped orin other words inst as Specification of Letters Patent.

shaft 1 carriesa cone pulley the steps of which a belt passes to a similar Patented Jan. as, rare.

Application filed April 19, 1917. Serial No. 163,164.

, the material in the lowest receptacle is high enough to answer the desired purpose.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing theparts when the operating devices are being driven. Fig. 1 is an enlarged detail view of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2, theparts acting as a locking device.

As far as the cooking receptacles themselves and the means tor-passing material. through them in succession are concerned the present construction is substantially like that of the prior patent. Thus a base 1 serves to upport the receptacles, the lowest one of which is marked with numeral 2 and the next higher with the numeral 3. As many vertically arranged receptacles as desired may be employed. In the floor or base of each receptacle is an opening 43 closed nor-- 'n ally by a gate 12 under the opening. These gates are carried on pins 39 and are normally held in a horizontal position so that downward passage of the material is prevented, icy-levers 38 to which Weights 41 are attached. The weights 41 serve to maintain the gates 42 in a horizontal position, but are constructed to be raised so as to depress these gates and when so raised assume the position of the weighted lever shown in dotted lines in connection with the receptacle 3 in Fig. 1.

To operate these gates a chain 24 passes around a sprocket 25 at its lower end and around a similar sprocket, .-not shown, at its upper end. The sprocket 25 is carried fast on a shaft 26 which has fast therewith a large gear 27. The largegcar 27pis ro tated by mechanism which-is substantially like that of the patent and therefore need not be particularly described. As shown, a driving belt passes around a loose 6 or a tight pulley 5 on a shaft 1. The

fast on pins 39. 'Fig. 1 shows thevlug 37 in engagement with one of the arms 40 and it will he understood that the further elevation of lngit? rocks the arm 40, the

from any of pulley weighted lever 38 and the gate 42 to the position shown in dotted lines. At this point weight 41' over the pin 39 and then thistacle.

the weighted lever 38 is held by an arm 44 pivoted on a pin 45 and thus the gate 42 remains depressed until the lug 37 strikes the upper end of lever 44 and rocks it. This rocking movement of lever 44 carries the 8 which is connected to a bell crank lever 10. This lever may be carried on a bracket 12 fixed to the receptacle frame and a spring 9 tends constantly to move the belt'shifter 7 so as to carry the driving belt on to the fixed pulley 5. The bell crank lever 10 is connected by a link 11 to a lever 13 pivoted on a pin 14 to some element of the receptacle and on the lower end of this lever 13 is mounted a by-pass pawl 16.

' pawl is provided with a lug 17 engaging the lever 13 and is pivoted to the lever by a pin 15. The weight of the pawl 16 is such that it tends to assume a position wherein the lug 17 engages the edge of the lever 13.

It will be seen that rocking lever 13 will shift the driving belt to the loose pulley and I to accomplish this function a weighted lever 32 is pivoted .on a' pin 33. A weight 34 maintains the lever in the position of Fig. 1 and the lever 32 is provided with an. an-

gled lug 36 in the path of the lug 37 on the chain 24. In the position of Fig. 2 for example, the lug 37 will shortly engage the lug 36 on the lever 32 and rock it around the pin 33. The depression of the other end 35 of this lever will rock the bypass pawl 16 idly on itspivot 15. When the lug 37 passes away from lug 36 the \veight 34 quickly depresses lever 32, thus elevating the other end 35 thereof. In this position of the parts the pawl 16 cannot rock on its pivot and the lever 34 therefore passes up the cam edge of this pawl and rocks the lever 13 in a counter-clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 2. This rocking moves the belt to the loose pulley and if it is maintained in that position will cause the stopping of the operation. However, the spring 9 constantly tends to move the driving belt to the tight pulley 5 and thus the lever 13 would simply rock back under the tension of this spring 9.

To prevent such return movement of lever 13 at proper times the lever is provided with a pin 20 adapted to be engaged by a notch 19 in a finger 18. This finger con- This stitutes alatch turning freely on a shaft 21, on the end of which shaft is fast a blade 22 adapted to rest on the meal in the lowest receptacle. A pin 22 is fast to shaft 21 and seen that the lower side of finger 18 rests on the pin 20 in lever 13. When this lever 13 is rocked by the lever 32 as before described. the pin 20 is moved to the right and finally comes under the notch 19 in the finger 18. The finger promptly drops and thus return of lever 13 is prevented and the driving belt is maintained on the loose pulley 6. WVithdrawal of the meal from the lowest receptacle permits the blade 22 to drop to the vertical position of Fig. 1, thus releasing the-finger 18 from the lever 13, whereupon spring 9 may restore the driving belt to the tight pulley 5 and the operation of the machine startagain.

It will be seen that in the normal operation of the device a complete movement of chain 24 through its path will finally elevate the lever 32 and stop the operation of the machine provided a suiticient quantity of meal has been deposited in the lowest rcceptacle. If, however, there has been an insufficient quantity so deposited the operation will not cease but the driving belt will be simply momentarily moved to the loose pulley 6 and then immediately restored to the tight pulley by the spring 9. Thus a second circuit of chain 24 is caused and ad ditional material thereby deposited in the lowest receptacle from the recepl acles higher up. This operation will continue until a sufiicient quantity of meal in the lowest receptacle brings the blade 22 toward the position of Fig. 2 and then the completion of the circuit of lug 37 will cause stoppage of the mechanism.

In the prior patent the construction was such that the mechanism was stopped at each complete circuit of the chain. corresponding to the chain 24 in this application. Thus, if a sutlicient quantity of meal had not been deposited in the lowest receptacle it. was necessary to set the parts by hand so as to cause a second circuit of the chain. The present invention therefore improves that prior construction byproviding automatically for such a second circuit. of the chain 24 if that is requiredl As in the prior patent the chain 24 may be compelled to move properly by a guard 31 surrounding the side of the chain which til aaaarae e's'upwardly. This guard may carry a 30 near its lower end which serves to the downward movement of the con trdlling iever 3 {Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure. by-Letters Patent,is:

1.. In a cooker, the combination, with a, plurality of receptacles adapted to discharge material in succession from the first to the last receptacle, and devices for stopping the discharge of said material, of means for operating said devices, and means for con necting power to said operating means and disconnecting it therefrom, said connecting and disconnecting means being so arranged that the power will be disconnected from said operating means after the discharge from the first receptacle has been. stopped and being arranged to connect the power to said operating means if the material in the I last receptacle has not reached a predetermined height. 1

2. In a cooker, the'combination, with a plurality of receptacles adapted to discharge material from the preceding receptacle into the succeeding receptacle, and means for stopping the discharge of material, of mechs anism for operating said stopping means, means for stopping said operating mechanism so arranged that'said operating mech anism will continue Tin-operation until the material in thelast receptacle has reached a predetermined height.

3. In a cooker, the combination, with aplurality ofreceptacles adapted to discharge material from the preceding receptacle Into the succeeding receptacle, and means for stopping the discharge of material, of mechanism for operating said stopping means,-

mc-ans for stopping said operating mechan'ism so arranged that said operatlng mechanism will continue in operation until the material in the last receptacle has reached a predetermined height, and means for looking the operating mechanism against turthe-r operation until the material in the .last receptacle falls below said predeter till mined height.

4. In a cooker, the combination, with a plurality of receptacles adapted to discharge material in succession from the first to the last receptacle, anddevices for stopping the discharge of said material, of means for operating said devices, means for connecting power to said operating means and disconnecting it therefrom, said connecting and disconnecting means being so arranged that the power will be disconnected from said' operating means after the discharge from the first receptacle has been stopped and be ing arranged to connect the power to said operating means if the material in the last receptacle has not reached a predetermlned height, and locking mechanism for locklng said operating means against further operation tacle reaches said predetermined height and until the material falls below said height.

5. In a cooker, the combination, with a plurality of receptacles, and gates therebetween permitting the movement of ma terial through said receptacles from the first to the last, f means for operating said gates in succession, a constantly moving motor mechanism, means for connecting said motor mechanism to said gate operating means, said means constantly tending to assume a connecting condition, by the material in the last receptacle, for preventing said. connecting means from -act-. ing. j

6. In a cooker, the combination, with a plurality of receptacles, and gates thereetween permitting the movement of material through said receptacles from the first to the last, of means for operating said gates in succession, a constantly movingmotor mechanism, means for connecting said motor mechanism to said gate operating means, said means constantly tending to assume a connecting condition, means, whereby said and devices, controlled when the material in. the last recepgate operating mechanism at the end of each complete operation thereof, may disconnect said motor mechanism from said gate operating means, and devices, controlled by the material in the last receptacle, for prevent ng such disconnection of said motor mech anism' from said gate operating means. 7. In a cooker, the combinatlon, with a plurality of receptacles, each upper recepmember irrespective of the height of the material in the lowest receptacle.

8. In a cooker, the combination, with a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle having a discharge opening leading to the nextlower receptacle, gates to control the respective discharge openings and actuating devices for imparting movement to said gates, of a controlling device comprising a vertically movable member and a tripping block adapted to .successively engage the actuatingdevice for each of sald gates, means to start in operation said controlling device when the material in the lowest receptacle has fallen below a predetermined level means to stop, said controlling 139 device without respect to r the material in said lowest receptacle, and means to lock said controlling device in stopped position. 9. In a cooker, the combinatibn, with a plurality of receptacles, each upper recep tacle having a discharge opening leading to the next lower receptacle, gates to control the respective discharge openings and actuating devices for imparting movement to said gates, .a controlling device comprising a flexible member supported adjacent ,to said cooker, means for imparting lengthwise movement to said flexible member, a tripping rblock carried by said flexible member, a blade pivoted in the lowest receptacle. resting upon the surface of the material therein,

adapted t6 unlock a means to shift a power cooker, means for imparting lengthwisemovement to said flexible member, a tripping block carried by said flexible member,

I a blade pivoted in the lowest receptacle resting upon the surface of the material therein,

adapted to unlock a means to shift a power.

belt into operative position to operate said flexible member when the material in said lowest receptacle falls below a predetermined level, and means actuated by said tripping block to shift said power belt into inoperative position.

11. In a cooker, the combination, with a plurality of receptacles, each upper receptacle having a discharge opening leading to the next lower receptacle, gates to control the respective discharge openings and actuating devices for imparting movement to {said gates, a controlling device comprising i a flexible member supported adjacent to said cooker, means for imparting lengthwise movement to said flexible member, a' tripping block carried by said flexible member, a blade pivoted in the lowest receptacle rest- I 'ing upon the surface of the material therein,

adapted to unlock a means to shift a power belt into operative position to operate said flexible member when the material in said lowest receptacle falls below a predetermined level,means actuated by saidtripping block toshift said power belt into inoperative position, and means to lock said power belt shifting device in inoperative position.

12. In a cooker, the combination, with a plurality of receptacles, each upper recepsurface of the material in the lowest retacle having a discharge opening leading to the next lower receptacle, gates to control the respective discharge openings, actuating devices for imparting movement to said gates, a controlling device comprising a vertically movable member, and a part carried by said member to successively engage the actuating device for each of said gates to open that gate, a blade resting upon the surface of the material in the lowest receptacle adapted to unlock a power belt shifting device and to permit said power belt to operate said controlling device.

13. In a cooker, the combination, with a plurality of receptacles, each upper receptacle having a discharge opening leading to the next lower receptacle, gates to control the respective discharge openings, actuating devices for imparting movement to said gates, a controlling'device comprising a vertically movable member, and a part carried by said member to successively engage the actuating device for each of said gates to open that gate, a blade resting upon the ceptacle'ada'pted -to unlock a. power belt shifting device and to permit said power belt to operate said controlling device, and means operable by said controlling device to reshift said belt shifting device to place the belt in inoperative position to stop said controlling device irrespective of the level of the material in the lowest receptacle.

1%. In a cooker, the combination, with a plurality of receptacles, each upper reccptacle having a discharge opening leading to the next lower receptacle, gates to control the respective discharge openings, actuating devices. for imparting movement to said gates, a controlling device comprising a vertically movable member, a part carried by said member to successively engage the actuating device for each of said gates to open that gate, a'blade resting upon the surface of the material in the lowest receptacle adapted to unlock a power belt shifting device and to permit said power belt to operate' said controlling device, means operable by said controlling device to reshift said belt shitting device to place the belt in inoperative position to stop said controlling device irrespective of the level, of the material in the lowest receptacle, and means to lock said belt shifting device in inoperative position.

15. In a cooker, the combination, with a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle hav ing a discharge opening leading to the next lower receptacle, gates to control the respective discharge openings, and actuating devices for imparting movement to said gates, of a controlling device comprising a vertical, movable member and a tripping block adapted to successively engage the actuating device for each of said gates, a blade said lowest receptacle adapted to i with said blade with a lug thereonadapted Ill) to be. elevated. when a sinoilar log on said blade comes in contact therewith upon the lowering of the level of the material in said receptacle, a belt shifting lever, resilient means for holding said belt shifting lever in operative position to operate'said control? ling device, a locking means between said finger and said belt shifting device when the material falls below a predetermined level, and means to lock the same actuated by said controlling device irrespective'of the level of the material in the lowest receptacle. I v

16. In a cooker, the combination, of a plurality of receptacles, gates therebetween adapted to permit the pas'sage'ot' material from one receptacle to the other, a controh ling device to operate said gates, apower pulley fixed to a power shaft, a loose pulley on said shaft, shifting means normally holding a belt on said power pulley, a lock in said low-est receptacle adapted to keep said shifting means in inoperative position, a blade in said lowest receptacle resting on the surface of the material therein adapted to unlock said lock when the material falls below a predetermined level, a pivoted weight on the end of said belt shifting means adapted to move in one direction and not in the other, a lever pivoted adjacent; said belt-shifting-means adapted to .be so tuated by the gate controlling device and to operate on said weight and said helt-shifttop of the material. in said recening means to throw it into loclred position. to shift the belt into inoperative position and stop the gale-operating means.

ii". In a cooker, the combination, of a plurality of receptacles, gates therebetween, a pulley fixed to a shaft coimected to a, source sot power, a companion pulley travel ing loosely on said shaft, a shifting forlr to move a belt from one pulley to the other,

means to normally hold said belt on the pulley fined to the shaft, means to lock said, shifting means by a finger engaging a pin on said shifting means, a blade pivoted in the lowest receptacle riding on the surface oi the material therein, adapted to unlock said finger when the material falls below a. predetermined level, means to opensaid gates, set in operation when said shifting means is unlocked, a second means operated by said gate shitting means adapted to lock said belt shifting means and. stop the movement of the gate opening means.

l8. lln a cooker, the comhination, with o a o-lurali'lr oi receptacles, and means permitting the gravity discharge of material in each receptacle to the next in succession, do vices, controlled by the level of the material in the lowest receptacle, for controlling thev operation of 'said means,'said devices cone stantly tending to cause operation of said discharge means, and being restrained from causing such operation when the material in said lowest receptacle is at a predetermined level.

in testimony whereof, ll afi in' my signalT QlSSELL A, TRACE.

' inure,

ill 

